Your experience (BRAIDS)

[honeycomb719]

I'm thinking about getting my hair in some micro-braids, but I used to wear them alot in the past, before my hair was really in a healthy state, and I suffer ALOT of breakage and shedding.

Have any of your ladies went back to this style after getting your hair in a more healthier state and had any success or atleast NO setbacks from wearing them?

I really want to get my hair back in this style for a few weeks just to give my hair a break from daily grooming, but I'm scared I will have setbacks.

I used to think that my hair texture was just to fragile, thin, cottony for this style, but now I wonder if the state of my hair had more to do w/ my past experiences.

What do you ladies think? I welcome ALL responses, but really want 2 hear from ladies w/ the same or a similar hair texture.


TIA

 

[honeycomb719]

bumping

 

[honeycomb719]

Nobody has any light to shed on my dilemmia?
I just want 2 know what u ladies think.
What would u do if it was u?

 

[candibaby]

I don't really know, because I've never had micro braids. I was going to get them but a stylist told me that they don't help promote growth and that normally your hair sheds up to 100 strands per day, and that when you're in braids they get all packed together, so when you take the braids out and comb it to get the dead hair out, all you're really doing is breaking your hair. So that made me go

.. and run away from my want of microbraids/box braids/kinky twists.

I dont know if this was relevant to your post, but at least I answered!

 

[bettydavis]

I have 4a hair...I get my braids done pretty small sometimes, it is more work to take out, esp if you leave them in a long time. If you do get them, I would say make sure you keep an eye on the roots, don't leave them in if you feel excessive knotting.

Also, if your hairline is fragile you should try retouching the braids in that area when necessary ( for me after 1 month) because it knots up the fastest.

Since I've learned how to care for my hair in braids I've had a lot of growth wearing them.

 

[honeycomb719]

Thanx ladies 4 your response, heres a look at the braids I contemplating getting
http://pic12.picturetrail.com/VOL434/1097325/2448511/53218128.jpg

Another view
http://pic12.picturetrail.com/VOL434/1097325/2448511/53218097.jpg

 

[Poohbear]

Ive never had micro braids either for the simple fact that it looks like it can cause breakage especially when taking them out. If you want braids, you should get them at least the size of a no. 2 pencil or bigger. Since your hair is healthier than before, I wouldnt ruin that health with the microbraids. Also, u should talk to a hair specialist to see what they would say about the condition of your hair for micro braids. Hope that helps

 

[ladybug]

well i get really small(not quite micro) braids every summer...
and for me they do give my hair a rest from the daily styling...and have promoted growth...when i get them done i dont let them do my hair line...so thats cuts down on breakage and i leave them in for 3 months with a touch up...after the second month...yes there is shedding but not any more excessive than normal...and when I am ready to take them out i am patient and take out about 20 braids a day...unitl i finish...many ppl have had different experiences with braids but over the yrs they have been more beneficial to my 4a hair growth than aything else...

 

[honeycomb719]

BettyDavis, I want 2 keep them in 4 about 6wks and depending on hair my hair behaves I will get them again about a month later...

 

[bettydavis]

Those braids are so pretty but I'm scared they could cause damage. I've never had them that small...I have a pic of my braids in my album, that's the size I've been getting them now and I haven't had problems with them.

 

[honeycomb719]

When I was wearing micros in the past I didnt care 4 them as I should either, I never washed them and rarely used braids spray

 

[Netta1]

I would say if it does not work for you this time around to let them go before they cause unneccessary damage. I really don't know a whole lot about micro braids though, I hear they can be pretty damaging-I guess it depends on a lot of things. When I get my braids done I try not to get them too small, it makes them easier for me to take down. I have some pictures of braided styles in my album. HTH :0)

 

[Netta1]

BTW: You should wash/condition and moisturise your braids this time around. They key to braids is to continue to nuture your hair even though your braided up.

 

[honeycomb719]

BettyD, your braid in your album are beautiful, and your natural hair is inspiring. I wish my fro looked like that 2 yrs ago

 

[bettydavis]

Thanks for the compliment Honeycomb!! I am still struggling with managing my hair but since I decided not to relax again, I've been making progress, my braid regimen has helped me alot. I see that you've made a lot of progress too from your pics

...my advice is that you shouldn't get them as small as those ones in the picture...even just a little bit bigger with parts the size of your thumbnail would be better, and they can still look pretty. Maybe the next time round, if all is good, you could try getting them smaller....I don't think it's worth it to risk your hair for a temporary hairstyle.

 

[Leshia]

My braids were never micros, but there were still sort of small. I was just thinking about going back to braids the other day and mentioned it to my husband. He had this terrified look on his face and insisted that I don't do it, (even though I have $60-worth of braiding hair waiting for me)so I'm kind of afraid. He said that it's getting too long to ruin it with the braiding. I guess it's kind of like how you don't remember labor and delivery and the "heck" you went through and then decide to have another baby and wonder why you did it again...I don't know that it's what your hair is like moreso than what the braids are actually doing to hair. For some, it's just too traumatic...and that "some" includes me. The braids were "heck" on my hairline and really didn't do too much for me. That's just my humble opinion. Hope it helped.

 

[Leshia]

[ QUOTE ]
honeycomb719 said:
Thanx ladies 4 your response, heres a look at the braids I contemplating getting

[url="http://pic12.picturetrail.com/VOL434/1097325/2448511/53218128.jpg[/url]"]http://pic12.picturetrail.com/VOL434/1097325/2448511/53218128.jpg[/url]

They sure are pretty...i dunno, it's tempting. I think I'd go for it and be extra, extra careful and pampering to them if you're going to give it a go..

Another view
http://pic12.picturetrail.com/VOL434/1097325/2448511/53218097.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[Tai]

I had micro braids and they caused damage to my hair. My hair was very dry and I was moisturizing them daily, more than I moisturized my own hair. My ends were a complete disaster and when they took them out, they also cut part of my hair. It was jagged, of course, so I ended up starting with hair that was just below my shoulders when I went in and ended up with hair that was about an inch or two below my chin once my stylist fixed my hair.

I was not a happy girl.
As pretty as they are, I don't recommend micros, especially if you're trying to grow out your hair. If you want to get them, my advice is to get them at least the width of a pencil and do NOT let them cut them out of your hair, even if they promise that they are cutting after the knot.

 

[AceH]

I had micro braids for quite a while last year, and I always kept them up. I would never go back to getting them because I now know how to take care of my hair without them! My hair did tend to shed when I would take them down, I was always working with 2 different textures, and washing them was a pain! Never again will I put braids in my hair.

 

[Nonie]

I wear micros and I haven't had any damage with them. The style in the picture you show is very pretty but the one thing I do notice is that the braids at the front are attached to very small sections of her own hair.

That would exert a lot of weight on each section and could lead to breakage. If you decide to get micros, then just stress to the stylist (or if you're doing them yourself, be sure...) to use less extension hair per every section of your own hair. You have to be particularly careful with your hairline. If you look at this unclear picture (sorry) of my micros in a protective style, particularly around the center parting, you can see how much of my own hair goes into each braid:

Compare that with her hairline:

Put another way, if you were to braid your own hair without the extension, the braid you get shouldn't be many times smaller than it is with the extension added; otherwise it looks very obvious you've got hair added on, let alone causes you a lot of damage.

Although I have never experienced any breakage due to micros along my hairline, I have decided to take extra measures to protect it by cornrowing the hair along the hairline without extensions and then having extensions on the rest of my hair. Here's what I mean:

And although it isn't obvious in the pictures below, I do have the same mini-cornrows at the front. Notice that it's still possible to achieve fullness even though you use less extension hair per section of your own. (BTW I used a little less than 2 packs of human hair for my entire head -- Actually, I've never needed more than two packs even when I had extensions on every inch of my head -- which again tells you how very little weight I'm carrying on my head, and thus exerting on my scalp.)

 

[DDHair]

I've had breakage but my hair was usually unhealthy before. The last time I had braids, I had invisible braids and those bad boys were tiny. I was so afraid that my hair would just snap in the front, especially when I saw a braid come out with my hair in it. After the last time I got braids my hair continued to be fairly healthy, but mainly because I moisturized, I used Surge and massaged my hair at the edges, because I just did not want to have a receding hairline. After that one braid came out, I don't believe I had anymore to come out my hair was pretty darn strong.

 

[simplycee]

I am wearing braids now. They are smaller than I uually get but nowhere close to being micro braids. My hair is 3 inches from brastrap and I do have extentions. I love wearing braids.

Every year I wear braids through 2 relax cycles. I waited four weeks after a relaxer to get them. My plan is to wear them for eight weeks. Take them down and let my hair rest a week and re braid. After the re braid I wait 3 weeks and get a touch up. This is how I grew my hair out from a chin length bob to 3 inches from bra strap.

I think braids are an excellent way to give your hair a much needed break but I think micro braids are not the best style for maintaining healthy hair.

 

[PittGirl06]

how long did it take to get your hair athat long?

 

[honeycomb719]

Thanx ladies for the advice.
Leshia, I agree with what you said about child birth comparision and braids

.
DDHair, I was trying to get a similar style to that wavy look that your wearing in your album, but I dont think my braider understand how u crocheted that hair in like that, so I was ready to just get some micros.
I still havent made a decision yet, but now at this moment I'm leaning towards not getting them, so I want have any regrets and be back on here giving yall the shoulda, coulda, woulda and I've been forewarned.

 

[Tonya]

I recently had micros (see my album) and I did not experience any breakage but I did not relax my hair for 4 months before I got them. It has been my experience that relaxed edges do not agree with micros or braids at all with me. So I just say if you get them get a NICE amount of new growth and try to wash your hair every other day adn keep it moisturized. That is the key!